An Orleans Parish jury convicted 23-year-old Durrelle Bowens late Wednesday in the March 24 killing of a man after a scuffle outside a Central City auto shop. The jury chose manslaughter over the second-degree murder charge that Orleans Parish prosecutors sought during the three-day trial.

Orleans Parish Sheriff's OfficeDurrelle Bowens

According to prosecutors, Toriano "Tito" Livas was leaving the shop at South Derbigny and Josephine streets when an Acura SUV stopped in the middle of the road.

Bowens and his brother got out and started beating on Livas over a dispute about a car that Livas was supposed to fix.

"Help me, help me, get 'em off me!" Livas was heard shouting, according to Orleans Parish prosecutor James Myers.

A friend of Livas' got a pipe and told Bowens to back off, and Livas retreated to his car for a gun.

According to prosecutors, Bowens fired first before Livas went to get his weapon. Although Livas fired, prosecutors said Bowens got the jump on him.

Bowens fired and reloaded, striking Livas in the leg and then shot away at his face and chest "'til that gun was empty," Myers said.

According to police, Bowens fired 17 shots in all before he, his brother and his brother's girlfriend drove off. He was arrested a few weeks later in Texas.

Bowens, who took the witness stand, claimed self-defense.

Defense attorney J.C. Lawrence argued that after the fisticuffs, Bowens brandished a gun to halt the fight, saying "This is over," then returned to the vehicle, but that Livas shot at the SUV, which had a young child inside. Bowens fired back then, Lawrence argued.

"It would appear that my client did not shoot first. What was clear was that my client shot last, and my client had an extra clip," Lawrence said. "Our view of it would be the state overcharged, believing it was a second-degree murder. We thought it was self-defense and the jury appeared to take the middle ground."

The jury returned the verdict about 10:30 p.m. In a news release, Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro credited two witnesses for coming forward to testify in the case.

Bowens faces a sentence of 10 to 40 years in prison at a sentencing slated for Feb. 1.

Orleans Parish Sheriff's OfficeDon 'Wookie' Flemings

Also late Wednesday, a jury convicted Don "Wookie" Flemings of armed robbery with a firearm and a count of attempted second-degree murder from an Oct. 23, 2010, shooting in the 3300 block of Pitari Street in Algiers.

According to Cannizzaro's office. the victim was shot four times, once in the throat.

The armed robbery with a firearm charge carries a sentence of up to 99 years, and Flemings could get up to 50 years for the attempted murder. He is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 16.